The present invention relates to an electrical connector provided with a side retainer.
One type of connector is provided with a side retainer. In this type of connector, a retainer insertion opening is formed on a side face of a housing provided with a plurality of cavities, and a retainer is inserted into this retainer insertion opening. This retainer is provided with a stopping protrusion capable of being engaged against stepped members or the like formed on the terminal fittings. Once the retainer has been inserted, first the stopping protrusions move away to sides of the cavities and the retainer is maintained in a temporary stopping position and, in that state, the terminal fittings can be inserted into the cavities and are engaged by lances. Next the retainer is pushed in further to a main stopping position, the stopping protrusions protrude into the cavities and are engaged against the stepped members of the terminal fittings, thereby doubly stopping the terminal fittings in an unremovable state. In this side retainer, the terminal fittings can be engaged directly, and thus has the advantage of having a strong retaining force.
It is normal with this type of side retainer for a posterior edge (relative to the direction of insertion of the retainer) of the retainer to protrude from a side face of the housing when the retainer is in the temporary stopping position. This can be felt when one touches the housing with one""s hands, and it can thus easily be detected if one forgets to insert the retainer to the main stopping position and leaves it in the temporary stopping position.
However, in the above configuration. since the retainer protrudes when in the temporary stopping position, there is the danger that the retainer may be accidentally inserted to the main stopping position during transit, etc. before the terminal fittings have been inserted. Consequently, the inadvertent insertion of this type of retainer can be prevented by covering the inserting location of the retainer with a protecting member. However, if this is done there is the problem that the housing must be large. The present invention has been developed after taking the above problem into consideration, and aims to present a connector capable of being miniaturised and in which the retainer will not be inserted inadvertently.
According to the invention there is provided an electrical connector comprising a housing having a plurality of parallel terminal insertion cavities therein, each of said cavities being adapted to receive one of a plurality of electrical terminals, the housing further including an end adapted to receive a mating connector, a retainer cavity intersecting said insertion cavities, and a retainer movable in said retainer cavity between a first position in which in use said terminals can move in a respective insertion cavity, and a second position in which in use said terminals are latched against movement in a respective insertion cavity, wherein said retainer is wholly within said housing. Such a retainer is not susceptible to accidental contact with an external object, and accordingly there is no need for an external shield which would increase the overall size of the housing.
Preferably the housing has an external opening or window to permit the position of the retainer to be verified. In a preferred embodiment the retainer can be both viewed and moved from the end of the housing adapted to receive a mating connector. The retainer may have a discontinuity. such as a protrusion, to permit movement thereof and to prevent full engagement of a mating connector unless the retainer is in the correct position. The discontinuity may for example be part of a concave/convex form fitting construction.